A call for help
by canny-bairn
Summary: Takes place during the episode 'Lauren' - Hotch calls the one person he knows can help find Emily Prentiss.


**Disclaimer – I own nothing related to Criminal Minds.**

**Out of season 6 I've only seen the first two episodes and 'Lauren' all the way through and about five minutes in total of the rest of the season, whenever I started watching I just couldn't get into it but I've read bits and pieces about what happened. **

**One-shot takes place during 'Lauren' when Hotch calls JJ asking for help. **

**Read into it anyway you want and enjoy!**

...

The minute he opened Prentiss' desk draw and found her ringing cell and badge, Hotch knew what he had to do.

The team gathered in the bullpen bouncing ideas of one another. Each took their turn to ring Prentiss' apartment and any other number they could think of while Hotch quietly stepped out of the room, saying he need to inform Strauss of the situation, especially with all the attention this case was getting.

As he shut his office door closed, the profiler glanced down into the bullpen where the worried faces of his colleagues were. Taking a breath Hotch picked up the phone out of the cradle, his intention to call his supervisor and tell her that his agent had vanished before getting on with his first task at solving the problem at hand.

Instead he hesitated. He placed the phone back and took out his cell once more. Dialling the memorized number, Hotch held his breath as he listened to the dialling tone.

The sound of her voice instantly calmed his quickly gathering nerves. "Jareau."

"JJ, it's me." Hotch stated awkwardly as he hovered next to his desk.

There was a slight pause between the pair. "Hotch, what's wrong?"

Hotch smirked at his former colleague's perceptiveness. "JJ, I wouldn't have called..."

"What's wrong?" JJ repeated firmly.

Hotch cringed not really wanting to involve JJ into something he wasn't entirely sure of, especially when she was getting settled in a job that had a significant workload, but his mind argued that the liaison would want to be involved.

Prentiss was her friend too and no matter what, she had insisted that they were always going to be her team. "Have you ever heard of an Ian Doyle?"

"Former IRA." JJ repeated instantaneously.

Hotch frowned momentarily. "How did you..?"

"There's been a lot of chatter lately. Hotch, what's going on?" JJ re-asked, her gut telling her something wasn't right.

Hotch sighed. "Prentiss is connected to him somehow and she's taken off."

It was JJ's turn to frown on the other end of the phone. "She's taken off?"

"She's been acting strange lately and after briefing today, well, she took off and none of us have heard from her since. We believe she's worked undercover at some point under the alias Lauren Reynolds and she has cause to believe she has a personal connection to Ian Doyle which can cause her and the team harm." Hotch explained quickly.

"A personal connection?" JJ asked dryly.

Hotch took a deep breath. "He's been eliminating people in connection to his detention in North Korea. Lauren Reynolds was on his list. The last woman on his last."

"So very personal." JJ stated.

"I need your help JJ." Hotch said in uncharacteristic weakness.

JJ responded almost immediately. "Anything."

Hotch froze momentarily and grimaced, not wanting to take advantage of JJ's role with the State department. "I know you have a lot more access now..."

"Give me thirty minutes. I'll get a car to bring me over to you." JJ announced decisively.

Hotch breathed out a sigh of relief. "JJ."

"I'll get everything I can on Doyle and Prentiss' past, hopefully traffic shouldn't be too bad." JJ confirmed while glancing at her wrist watch.

Hotch nodded. "Thanks JJ. I really don't know what I'd do..."

"Hotch, you guys are family. All you have to do is call." JJ interrupted knowing it must have been difficult for her former supervisor to ask for help.

Hotch smiled at the warmness in the liaison's voice, something he had to admit he missed form daily life. "You know we miss you around here right?"

"Oh please you just miss me because you get double the amount of paperwork now." JJ quipped with a small smile as she organised her belongings.

Hotch ran a hand over his face tiredly. "You know that isn't true."

"I'll see you in half an hour Hotch." JJ replied, never feeling entirely comfortable when someone wanted to give her praise.

Hotch nodded once, catching the eye of Rossi who was looking up from the bullpen. "Thanks, JJ."

"Hotch." JJ began before they hung up.

"Yeah?"

JJ sighed. "This isn't your fault."

Hotch frowned again faintly. "I never said..."

JJ chuckled half-heartedly. "I know you Hotch. It was Emily's choice not to come to you or anyone on the team. She made her choice. Now we go and help her out even if she doesn't want it."

"What if I'm too late again?" Hotch asked in fearful anticipation.

JJ paused at the slight quiver in his voice. "Hotch, you can't control this. What happens next can't be controlled, it's going to happen. But we'll do our best to bring her home."

"I'm not sure she even feels at home here." Hotch mused in a nearly inaudible whisper.

JJ made a dissatisfied tut. "Then why run off if she didn't want to protect her home?"

"I don't know. Obviously I'm not doing a very good job, otherwise she would have come to me." Hotch placed his finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes briefly.

"You know that's not true. Prentiss has something to hide and has decided to take things into her own hands. So stop beating yourself up." JJ instructed warningly.

There was a beat of comfortable silence shared between the two before Hotch spoke again. "You're on your way."

"My car is on the way and my assistant is rounding up all the information we can find on Doyle and Emily." JJ reassured.

Hotch smiled faintly, grateful that his team was going to be somewhat stable with the return of one of their missing colleagues. "I'll see you in thirty."

"She's tough Hotch. Hopefully Em can fight her demons till we find her." JJ concluded before hanging up. Hotch watched his team through the blinds, hoping to whoever watched over them that JJ could do what she did best and look after them all.

...

**Let me know what you think!**


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